Rate of Decay
by Black - Reborn Steel Axe
Summary: Rowdy, apathetic, and anything but selfless, Satetsu Dikei is everything but a perfect girl. Little does she know her family is in a deal of trouble, and she is right in the middle of it. Adventure/humor.


"You're dead, brat!"

"Screw you, bastard!"

Since Iruka wasn't around to stop us, Shukun and I were fighting and arguing yet again. A large crowd was circled around us, some kids cheering us on and a small fraction betting on us. I had Shukun's hair in my hand, and I wasn't about to let go at all. Shukun had my shirt collar in his hand, and his other arm was tightly wrapped around my waist. I was immobilized from the waist down at that point, so he took the initiative to turn me over and start to pummel my face. I raked my nails across his right cheek, and he hissed, grabbing a large amount of my hair. I growled, more like a feral beast than any other creature, and wrapped my arms around Shukun's stomach, knocking him to the ground. He grabbed my shoulders roughly, and pinned me underneath him again.

"You're so difficult!" I roared, flailing underneath him.

"You're one to talk, you banshee!" Shukun yelled, biting down on my shoulder.

I tried to pull Shukun off of me, feeling his teeth sink deeper into my shoulder. I felt heat rush up to my cheeks, and I couldn't help but blush. The pain was, in a way, a bit teasing and it felt nice…what the hell is wrong with me?! A twelve year old masochist; that would be a real pleasing revelation to tell my father. I pushed Shukun off of me after a while of just lying there, and then I lunged upon him, straddling his thighs with my legs so that I could keep him in place. I grinned, and started to bludgeon him with my fists, not leaving him with _any _room to get a one-up on me.

"Hey, break it up, you two!"

I felt Mizuki's strong hands underneath my arms, and I kicked at Shukun, my foot landing straight into his mouth. He let out a grunt, and blood was running down his chin, staining the floor. I was placed onto my feet on the ground, and I steadily glared at Shukun. He wiped his lower lip and glared at me as well, spitting out blood that was resting in his mouth. The air was tense, and the students were watching us closely. Iruka and Mizuki were doing the same, but the two of them let us go. Shukun and I slowly approached each other, held out our hands, and slammed them into the hand of the other, gripping it tightly. It seemed like at the point, it would be in an arm wrestler's position. That was our way of saying "Nice job, prick/bitch".

It was a classic scene in the Academy, ever since Shukun and I had enrolled. We would fight for a half an hour to an hour, get pulled apart by an irate Iruka and a generally unreadable Mizuki, join hands, give a firm shake, and then…

"Do you two have anything at all to say for yourselves?!" Scolding. Shukun and I would be placed at the front of the classroom, sitting in front of the blackboard. This day, I was tying my hair back into its ponytail, my eyebrows drawn together. Not at Shukun, minding, but Iruka. He irked me.

"We were just having a disagreement over lunch, Iruka. Don't be so harsh with us." Shukun said. I tied the cloth around my hair, and then nodded; adjusting the white jacket I was wearing.

"Besides, at least we didn't fight for the whole class period." I commented. Shukun and Iruka turned to me, and I had taken out a small mirror, checking my swelling right cheek. "Besides, he's paying for lunch." I said, motioning to Shukun with my elbow.

"That's just because you got the last hit in!"

I smiled lightly, and then stretched my legs outward, throwing my right leg over my left. Shukun and I were left to stand (more or less sit) in the front while Iruka started to tell everyone about the team set-ups tomorrow. I frowned, and noticed that Naruto was looking incredibly peeved at the entire situation. His head was resting on his desk, his arms covering his mouth but not the disappointment in his eyes. I shrugged indifferently as Iruka dismissed all of us. Shukun and I had missed the test, so we would have to just do it tomorrow and risk not getting on a squad.

As I was thinking about the test, I wondered where Kurosu was. He'd better not gone back on the promise he made to me! He said – no – promised that he would come to the Academy on the day of the test, pass it, and become a shinobi with Shukun and I. It was guaranteed that we would be placed onto a squad together, since we were just extra children in the Academy. I yawned, and stood up onto my two feet as the class was dismissed. Shukun and I were free to go, so we decided to confer with Naruto.

"Hey, lift your head up." I was sitting on Naruto's desk, my knees up to my chest and my hand on the sash of Airon and Reigou. My left hand was tossed over my knees, gripping the fabric of my pants. Naruto's head rose slightly, but he didn't seem to follow me. "I said get up, Banana-head!"

"Who're you callin' a banana head?!" Naruto yelled, jumping up onto the desk in front of me.

"You, banana-head!" I yelled back, my irritation starting to show.

"Well, you're an orange-head!" Naruto retorted, grabbing my ponytail and yanking it upwards.

"Don't touch me!"

I wrapped my arms around Naruto's stomach and tackled him to the ground, straddling his waist. I started to scratch and punch his face, and he was flailing underneath me, mostly taken by surprise at my sneak attack. He grabbed the cloth that held my hair up and yanked it upwards, my hair falling down onto my back and shoulders.

"Hey, Naruto and Satetsu are fighting!"

Naruto had rolled over by then, grabbing the collar of my jacket. He pulled me upwards into a head butt, and I felt my head pound violently. For a little kid, he had a big hard head. I suppose that was what I liked most about him; you couldn't tell him anything and get him upset. He was just determined; perhaps too much for his own good. I felt a warm vein of blood running down the bridge of my nose, and I grabbed Naruto's shoulders, pinning him back underneath me. The two of us were grabbing at each other's hair now, and I bit into his arm. I heard him yell, and a part of me rippled in satisfaction. I liked having the upper hand, especially against boys. I felt arms wrap around my stomach, and Shukun was holding me to his chest. Another person was helping Naruto onto his feet.

"Gah, you damn banana-head!" I picked up an eraser and whipped it, the small rubber object soaring through the air. It hit Naruto in the forehead, and he let out an irritated groan.

"You orange-head bitch!" Naruto yelled, tossing the eraser back at me. It hit me square in my navel, and I flailed about in Shukun's arms.

"Come on, Satetsu. You don't want two fights on the same day."

I huffed, and wiggled myself about until I fell to the ground on my knees. I slowly stood up, and then ran out of the classroom, not even bothering to grab my hair cloth back from that banana-head.

--- + ---

I sat outside, my legs dangling off of the wooden slab that was classically called a swing. You could hear the ropes straining as the swing took my weight full par. I was hanging onto the right rope with one hand, chipping the dried blood off of my forehead with the other. I sighed, and closed my eyes, my nail running over my flesh. I incidentally scratched myself on the tip of the nose, and sighed outwards.

"Two fights in a day is your minimum record, isn't it?" I looked up, and saw Kurosu rubbing the back of his neck. He was wearing his usual, a pair of scissors held in between his teeth by the rubber handle. I glared up at him, and he backed away from me, grinning nervously. "I-I'm s-s-sorry I was late, b-but I was cooking breakfast, and…"

"Kurosu…" I glared down at his clothing, and tightened the sash over my chest and shoulder. "What happened to the skirt and tank top I put you in yesterday?"

"I-uhm, well, I didn't th-think that would have, well, really been appropriate for—"

"Don't you worry. I have a sundress with your name on it."

I strode past the shocked Kurosu, who hadn't really even uttered onto me a complete sentence before I had threatened him with yet another girly fabric. It would be the third one this week, and certainly not the last. I had the rest of my days to fulfill before I had completely emasculated my elder future teammate. Kurosu followed behind me, and Shukun – by way of the large tree besides the Academy window – dropped at my right side and started to fall in line with Kurosu.

"So, are we still having that sleepover soon?!" Kurosu asked. Shukun and I turned to him, and we both shrugged.

"I don't know if I can make it." Shukun commented, twisting his braid around his finger.

"I'm not going." I said.

"Seriously?! I set up a separate guest room for you, Satetsu! Please, please come!"

"I refuse!" I barked. Kurosu jumped slightly, and Shukun just shook his head. "Just keep that girly party to yourself!" I heard Shukun suck his teeth, 'tsk'-ing me. I sighed, and adjusted the strap over my shoulder. I turned back to Kurosu, whose eyes were on the brink of overflowing with those plump, babyish tears I'd come to loathe.

"I-I'm s-s-so sorry…" Kurosu managed to choke out.

"Ugh! Fine, I'll go! Just stop crying, you big baby."

I shuffled ahead, and heard Shukun growl as Kurosu scooped the smaller boy into a huge bear hug. Kurosu was usually happy whenever I changed my mind, especially in such a unlikely predicament as a sleepover.

It was just another classic day. I fought, got punished, and got into yet another fight. I mocked Kurosu, and then started to walk home with Shukun and Kurosu, all three of us in good spirits. It ended like any other day.

Well, after I got that headband, it would all change.


End file.
